Games of the Week (Week 6)
MONDAY (Jan. 13) Game of the night: 2A #8 Beckman Catholic (8-1) at 3A #4 Mount Vernon (8-0) Keaton Kutcher This Monday slate is a lot stronger than usual, in part due to some postponements from last week being made…
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Continue ReadingMONDAY (Jan. 13)
Game of the night: 2A #8 Beckman Catholic (8-1) at 3A #4 Mount Vernon (8-0)
Keaton KutcherThis Monday slate is a lot stronger than usual, in part due to some postponements from last week being made up, and in part because it was already strong on the schedule. This is a make-up game that was supposed to be played on Friday, and it’s a huge one in the WaMaC East. Mount Vernon is 8-0 in league play, while Beckman is 6-1, so the Blazers can’t really afford to drop this one. Mount Vernon has yet to play a game decided by single digits, led by the dynamic inside-out pairing of Keaton Kutcher (19.0) and Noah Erickson (18.6). Kutcher is one of the state’s most deadly shooters, while Erickson has been dominant on the interior, shooting 63.5% from the floor. Beckman is headlined by one of the state’s most versatile players in Michael Keegan (18.7), who leads the Blazers in every major category except for assists, where he ranks second. The 6-5 wing will need to have a dominant game on both ends of the floor if the Blazers are going to come away with a key road win here. Mount Vernon has some solid role players alongside their big two, and the ‘Stangs remain undefeated here, grabbing firm control of the East Division.
Our pick: Mount Vernon 64, Beckman Catholic 57
Others to monitor
Albia at 1A #1 Montezuma
4A #6 Hempstead at Prairie
Ballard at Gilbert
Sumner-Fredericksburg at Gladbrook-Reinbeck
North Polk at Grinnell
Van Meter at Kuemper Catholic
Hinton at LeMars
Knoxville at 2A #9 Pella Christian
1A #8 South O’Brien at 1A #2 St. Mary’s, Remsen
TUESDAY (Jan. 14)
LJ HendersonGame of the night: 2A #2 Monticello (9-1) at 2A #1 Camanche (7-0)
We’ve been looking forward to this game since we did the “Way Too Early” rankings back in August, when we ranked these teams where they currently are in 2A, at the top. Neither team has done anything to dissuade us from the high opinion we had of them to open the year, as the lone loss for either squad came to a 4A school, Cedar Rapids Washington, by a single point. Monticello has been rolling behind the broad shoulders of talented big man Justin Recker, who is averaging 17.3 points and shooting 69.7% from the floor. Luke Lambert (12.8, 40.9 3P%) is the other key piece for this group, but it’s a team that returned all five starters from last year’s team and added a solid freshman in Tate Petersen (8.0), giving them a rotation that is deep, balanced and experienced. Camanche won each of their first three games by single digits, but has been rolling since, winning their next four games by an average of 36.8 points a game, meaning both of these teams are entering this game playing great basketball. The Indians recently welcomed back standout guard Cameron Soenksen, who missed the first several weeks of the season with a back injury. He gives them another talented scorer to go alongside four players already averaging in double figures – Caleb Delzell (15.0), LJ Henderson (13.7), Jordan Lawrence (10.6) and Zach Erwin (10.4). Camanche really likes to get out and run, and they’ll be looking to push the tempo here. The Indians won the lone meeting last season, 65-55, and both teams’ rosters are nearly identical to that game. We expect this one to be tight throughout, but give the edge to the more explosive team playing at home.
Our pick: Camanche 67, Monticello 62
Others to monitor
4A #4 Dowling Catholic at 4A #8 Ankeny
Johnston at 4A #9 Ankeny Centennial
Davenport Central at 3A #5 Assumption
3A #9 Marion at 2A #8 Beckman Catholic
Senior at Kennedy
3A #8 Algona at Clear Lake
3A #10 Pella at 3A #6 Dallas Center-Grimes
2A #10 Dike-New Hartford at Denver
3A #3 Norwalk at Grinnell
Glenwood at Harlan
1A #10 West Fork at Iowa Falls-Alden
West Hancock at 1A #5 Lake Mills
Indianola at Oskaloosa
2A #5 Boyden-Hull at Unity Christian
Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln at 4A #7 Sioux City East
Panorama at Woodward-Granger
THURSDAY (Jan. 16)
Game of the night: Unity Christian (6-3) at Western Christian (7-2)
Don’t look now, but Western Christian is starting to look like the vintage Wolfpack again. Since back-to-back losses to open the year, they’ve run off seven straight wins. They’re led by guard Dawson Feenstra (17.6), a talented scoring guard who is shooting 40% from the arc, while Ty Van Essen (11.0) has been controlling the paint for them. They’re winning games on the defensive end of the floor, allowing 56.3 points a game so far this season, and they’ll continue to lean on that end against a Unity Christian team that is led by guard Ethan Klompien (16.0), who is shooting 41.9% from the arc himself. The Knights have a balanced attack beyond Klompien, with five other players averaging between 5.3 and 9.7 points. Western is on a roll, has played a significantly more difficult schedule and is playing at home, so we’re taking the Pack here in a game that may prove they belong back among the elite teams in 2A.
Our pick: Western Christian 60, Unity Christian 53
Others to monitor
1A #3 Bishop Garrigan at Pocahontas Area
Denison-Schleswig at Sergeant Bluff-Luton
3A #7 Algona at Spencer
Clear Lake at Waverly-Shell Rock
FRIDAY (Jan. 17)
Game of the night: 3A #6 Dallas Center-Grimes (7-1) at 3A #3 Norwalk (5-2)
Bowen BornThere is no greater show in Iowa high school basketball right now than Norwalk guard Bowen Born, who is averaging 38.1 points a game and is on pace to break the single season scoring record (if the Warriors make it to State and win a game). The talented lefty guard has been absolutely dominant as a scorer, posting 56-40-91 shooting splits. Tyler Johnson (13.3, 40.5 3P%) and Scott Anderson (7.4, 45.2 3P%) are also talented scoring options alongside Born. The Mustangs got off to a 7-0 start before dropping their first game of the season last week to Indianola. The ‘Stangs have their own dynamic backcourt in Cole Glasgow (18.8) and Luke Rankin (17.1), who have paired to form arguably the second best backcourt in 3A (behind only, of course, Norwalk). Rankin in particular has been dynamic, dishing out 56 assists (against just 10 turnovers). He’ll need to continue protecting the ball at that level, because any extra possessions that go to Born are dangerous. Norwalk will have the best player on the floor, and they should win this key Little Hawkeye battle (both teams enter the week with 3-1 records in the league).
Our pick: Norwalk 75, Dallas Center-Grimes 65
Others to monitor
4A #6 Hempstead at Senior
2A #3 West Sioux at Hinton
2A #8 Beckman Catholic at Clear Creek-Amana
Liberty at City High
4A #8 Ankeny at Johnston
3A #4 Mount Vernon at 3A #9 Marion
2A #5 Boyden-Hull at 3A #8 MOC-Floyd Valley
Grinnell at 3A #10 Pella
Oskaloosa at 2A #9 Pella Christian
Des Moines Christian at Panorama
Valley at Southeast Polk
Western Christian at Spirit Lake
1A #2 St. Mary’s, Remsen at Unity Christian
Van Meter at Woodward-Granger
SATURDAY (Jan. 18)
Game of the night: 2A #9 Pella Christian (5-2) at Des Moines Christian (6-3)
On a Saturday that lacks the usual firepower, this 2A battle stands out. Pella Christian’s two losses have come to 3A power Norwalk and 4A Indianola. The Eagles rarely play games against 2A schools as a member of the Little Hawkeye Conference, so this is a game where they can show the difference between themselves and other solid 2A teams, like DMC. The Eagles are averaging 70 points a game, with a balanced group that has nine players averaging at least 3.8 points a game. They’re headlined by Josh Van Gorp (18.2, 70.5 FG%), a dominant big man who should have his way against an undersized Lions group. Dan Jungling (13.1) leads a talented group of guards. On the other side, the Eagles may have a tough time matching up with DMC forward Ben Loverude (12.5), a combo forward who can score inside and out. If Curran Ingram was healthy and playing, this would be a tighter game, but with him sidelined for DMC, it’s hard to see them keeping pace with a high-powered Pella Christian attack for four quarters.
Our pick: Pella Christian 72, Des Moines Christian 60
Others to monitor
3A #10 Pella at PCM
Davenport West at Kennedy
Jefferson at Oskaloosa
Le Mars at 4A #7 Sioux City East